Current-motor



J11, REBMAN.

CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLICATION HL D DEC. 21, 1920. 1,3 3 memm Feb, 115, 1921 W nu w/W w l .fi warz,

UNITED STAATE SiiQiI ENT QFFIQE] .JOHAN J. REBMAN, 03 DALLAS, TEXAS,

CURRENT-MOTOR.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Feb. 122.21.

Application filed' August 11, 1919, Serial No. 316,575., Renewed Decemberfll, 1920;, Serial no; 432303.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Jonas? J. REBMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of'Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-hIotors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in current motors.

The object of the invention is to provide a current motor in which water wheels are employed to drive electric generators in a V novel and eflicient manner.

Another ob ect is to provide pontoons between which the water wheels are adjustably supported and in which the generators and their driving means are located.

Another feature is to construct the motor in sections so that additionalsections may be readily addedand alsoto brace the sections together so that they must rise and fall in unison and not independently.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a motor embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same, and

Fig. 3 is a detail of one of the take-ups for the water wheel shafts.

In the drawing the-numeral 1 designates an elongated boat or pontoon. On each side the pontoons take up frames 2 which are mounted in slots. In each frame a slide plate 3 is mounted and swiveled on the lower end of a vertical talre-up screw a mounted in the top of the frame. Each screw extends above the frame and has a crank handle 5 thereon. In each slide plate 3 a bearing block 6 is pivoted. The pontoons are arranged in pairs each pair constituting a section.

Drive shafts 7 are supported in the blocks 6. Each shaft extends from the take-up of one pontoon to the adjacent take-up of the next pontoon, each of said pontoons having its take-ups on its outer side free to receive the shafts of adjacent pontoons. By this arrangement the last pontoon added has idle take-ups ready to receive the drive shafts of the next pontoon when the latter is added.

In each pair of pontoons, the drive shafts 7 extend through the bearings 6 of one pontoon and project into the pontoon for a sub.- stantial distance, while the opposite ends of these shafts extend into the bearings 6 of the other pontoon, and do not project into the pontoon.

On each drive shaft betweenthe ontoons, a water wheel 8 is fastened soais to revolve the shaft. The depth at which the wheels revolve in the water is controlled by adj usting the blocks 6 by means of the screws t. Each shaft 7 has one end projecting into a pontoon'and carries a pulley 9 revolved by the shaft in thepontoon. Each pulley 9 drives by means of a belt 10, a pulley 11 on the shaft of an electric generator 12, also mounted in the pontoon. The pontoons have bulkheads 15 separating each into compartments- V e V "Upright trusses l3 bridge the pontoons transversely and are securely fastened thereto so that all of the ,pontoons are tied together andjmustffloat" in unison. A guard 14; is fastened across the bowsof the pontoons to keep trash from entering the same. Thepontoons are anchored in a stream with a current, the bows against the current or upstream. The water wheels 8 are raised or lowered by means of the take-up handles 5 and screws 4, to the proper depth. The water passing between the boats revolves the wheels which in turn revolve the pulleys-9. The pulleys 9 drive the generators and the electrical current thus generated is conducted to a suitable point of utilization.

What I claim, is:

1. In a current motor, a plurality of pontoons arranged in spaced relation, the pontoons in each pair being provided upon their sides with upstanding openings, upstanding frames arranged within the openings, slide plates within the frames to move vertically therein, means to move each slide plate, bearings pivotally connected with'the slide plates to swing transversely thereof, a shaft having its end portions journaled in the bearings which are carried by each pair of pontoons, a water wheel arranged between each pair of pontoons and secured to the shaft, a driven element carried by one pontoon in each pair and connected with the shaft to be driven thereby, and means connecting the pontoons to retain them in the assembled relation.

2. In a current motor, a plurahty of pontoons arranged in spaced relation, the pontoons in each pair being provided upon their sides with upstandingopenings, slide plates mounted within the upstanding openings and having openings formed therein, separate means to vertically adjust each slide plate, a bearing pivoted within the opening of each slide plateito swing'transversely thereof,a shaft having its ends j ournaled in thebearings which are carried by each pair of pontoons, a water wheel arranged between each pair of pontoonsand carried by the shaft, a driven element carried by one pontoon, driving means between the driven element and shaft, and means for retaining the pontoons in the proper assembled position. I

3. In a current motor, a plurality of boat like pontoons arranged in'spaced substantially parallel relation so that the spaces therebetween are entirely open, each pontoon being provided upon its opposite sides with substantially vertical pairs of openin s, vertically adjustable bearings within t e openings, a pair of water wheels arranged in spaced relation between each pair of boat like pontoons, a shaft for each water wheel, said shaft having one end carried by the bearing of one pontoon in the pairwithout "projecting into the'pontoon for a substantial distance, and its opposite end carriedby the bearing of the other pontoon in the same pair and projecting into such pontoon for a substantial distance, pulleys carried by such projecting ends of the shafts and arranged within the boat like pontoon, a driven element arranged within such boat like pontoon and connected with the pulleys to be driven thereby, and means for retaining the "pontoons in the proper assembled relation.

4. In a current motor, a pair of. spaced boat like 'pontoons arranged 1n substantially parallel relation, said pontoons' being proscrews connected with theslide plates and engaging the vertical frames and projecting above the same, elements secured to the upper ends of the adjusting screws to turn them, said slide plates having openings, bearings arranged wlth said openings and pivoted with the slide plates to swing in a vertical plane transversely thereof, a continuous rigid shaft having one end journaled in one bearing and havingits opposite end portion extending through the other I bearing and projecting into the pontoon for a substant1al dlstance, a pulley arranged wlthln the pontoon and carr ed by the shaft,

an element within the pontoon and connected with the pulley to be driven thereby, and

a paddle wheel arranged between the pentoons and carried by the shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. I JOHAN JREBMAN. 

